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Limestone Charter Association reports rapid growth, explains vetting of one unsatisfactory school transfer
Summary
Limestone Charter Association told the subcommittee it now oversees 13 charter schools and more than 7,700 students; the authorizer described program supports, its teacher development partnerships and why it accepted one school that had an unsatisfactory first report card year.
Angel Malone, superintendent of the Limestone Charter Association, told the Public Education and Special Schools Subcommittee that Limestone has expanded from three schools at authorization to 13 schools serving 7,766 students as of Jan. 25 and emphasized its authorizing model of autonomy, excellence and partnership.
Malone described services Limestone provides to member schools: a university‑partnered master’s program offered at no cost to participating teachers, a National Science Foundation–funded scholarship that provides up to $10,000 for teachers completing a degree and mentorship in math and science for rural schools, and targeted coaching for special education, data analysis and governance. Limestone said it capped authorizer administrative costs at 2% of funding and reported carryover funds of $411,051.
On performance, Malone said about 50% of Limestone‑authorized schools received a report‑card rating of Excellent or Good; approximately 30% were Average and two schools were rated Below Average or Unsatisfactory (one unsatisfactory school, Goacher Elementary, was discussed). Malone said the authorizer intervenes with targeted supports and monitors progress; state law triggers automatic closure if a school receives an unsatisfactory rating for three consecutive years.
Committee member questions focused on enrollment composition and the authorizer’s decision to accept a school that had an unsatisfactory initial rating under a prior authorizer. Malone said Limestone vets transferring schools for financial, governance and instructional compliance and that the school they accepted had no disclosed financial irregularities and showed growth in formative data. She said Limestone provides close coaching and has sent staff to observe classrooms and support special education and formative assessment implementation.
The subcommittee asked for clarifications on counts that appeared duplicated in the materials; Malone acknowledged a sheet formatting issue and confirmed the student totals and school counts.
